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I won't discuss anime standards, but concerning the "epic feel"... I have to side with MooMooFarm: it's gone. Even the characters feel it. In S1, they were all "OMGWTFBBQ, we're doomed! And the world with us! But we'll still fight." In SR, it was more "Eh, whatever. We've done it before."

Annihilation of everything that is is a bit too abstract a concept for me to take it serious. Lina nuked cities left and right and that only resulted in people digging their way out of piles of rubble being very angry. If an endboss of whatever category had ever succeeded in destroying the world my image of whatever follows would have been Lina crawling her way out of an extraordinarily large pile of rubble, fuming, bitching, and shaking her fist. The end fights were exciting, yes, but the one in SR is no exception. And better choreographed at that.

I think you were a decade younger and a decade less experienced and maybe a decade less cynical when you saw the original Slayers and just project your feelings from back than to today. Consequently, your posts sound extremely emotional. And you expect something ("breaking of standards, setting standards") a story cannot deliver.

Now what actually did evolve over the last 10-15 year and which standards can we expect an anime to have or even to break?

First we have to distinguish between evolution and going from fad to fad. The Slayers characters look about as 90s as can be. If that's not your cup of tea, OK. But I prefer staying true to the original over a complete revamp that leaves us with a modernized bishoujo Lina that looks as if she has just escaped from Clannad. (Dirty Pair -> Dirty Pair Flash anyone?) And even if someone disagrees with me, this would hardly be an example of "reaching new standards" in any objective way.

Now, Animation has clearly evolved because it is computer-aided nowadays. At least, it is potentially better nowadays. CG also give you the possibility to make your anime look ugly in a 1000 new ways. But SR did very well in that department compared to many other shows.

Prety much everything else did not evolve over a decade. Like storytelling. This would be a ridiculous claim since stories have been told for millennia. The 90s weren't the middle ages and if an 90s anime sucks in the storytelling department from our POV then only because it already sucked back then. Same goes for characterization, "gags and jokes" and whatever.

Anime has indeed evolved and not only in the animation department. IMO, Slayers is outstanding among the mid 90s shows and SR, while keeping the quality, is only a great current show among other great current shows. But certainly not because humanity's standards are miraculously higher now. It's because anime had to crawl out of that bottomless pit defined by the late 80s, early 90s trash OVAs that sucked by any standards. Certainly by my own, now and then.

So bottom line, Slayers was a great lighthearted action comedy back then and Slayers Revolutions is now. I didn't expect any BREAKING OF STANDARDS in all caps. I'd rather question my own standards instead.

And if anything was "milking the cow" then the generally poor Slayers movies and OVAs.

Slayers rev is not as good as the others come on it drags about far to much.

I think you were a decade younger and a decade less experienced and maybe a decade less cynical when you saw the original Slayers and just project your feelings from back than to today. Consequently, your posts sound extremely emotional. And you expect something ("breaking of standards, setting standards") a story cannot deliver.

Now what actually did evolve over the last 10-15 year and which standards can we expect an anime to have or even to break?

First we have to distinguish between evolution and going from fad to fad. The Slayers characters look about as 90s as can be. If that's not your cup of tea, OK. But I prefer staying true to the original over a complete revamp that leaves us with a modernized bishoujo Lina that looks as if she has just escaped from Clannad. (Dirty Pair -> Dirty Pair Flash anyone?) And even if someone disagrees with me, this would hardly be an example of "reaching new standards" in any objective way.

Now, Animation has clearly evolved because it is computer-aided nowadays. At least, it is potentially better nowadays. CG also give you the possibility to make your anime look ugly in a 1000 new ways. But SR did very well in that department compared to many other shows.

Prety much everything else did not evolve over a decade. Like storytelling. This would be a ridiculous claim since stories have been told for millennia. The 90s weren't the middle ages and if an 90s anime sucks in the storytelling department from our POV then only because it already sucked back then. Same goes for characterization, "gags and jokes" and whatever.

Anime has indeed evolved and not only in the animation department. IMO, Slayers is outstanding among the mid 90s shows and SR, while keeping the quality, is only a great current show among other great current shows. But certainly not because humanity's standards are miraculously higher now. It's because anime had to crawl out of that bottomless pit defined by the late 80s, early 90s trash OVAs that sucked by any standards. Certainly by my own, now and then.

So bottom line, Slayers was a great lighthearted action comedy back then and Slayers Revolutions is now. I didn't expect any BREAKING OF STANDARDS in all caps. I'd rather question my own standards instead.

And if anything was "milking the cow" then the generally poor Slayers movies and OVAs.

I might be misunderstanding what you're trying to say (might be because the post isn't directed at me) but having only fully watched Slayers (only watched a few episodes in the 90s) about 2 or so years ago for the first time. Along with hundreds of animes from the 80s, 90s, and in the past decade; both prior and after watching Slayers. I don't think I (probably along wiht many others) only enjoyed it due to having lower standards (nor do I think that anime has improved as a whole ... I'd say it's relatively the same, if anything it'd be the opposite if anything, unless you're talking about animation.)

I just don't think Slayers Revolution is on the same level as any of the other seasons with the possible exception of the 1st half of Try. But I'm still expecting the 2nd season of Revolution to be much better.

Having seen the last episode I'd have to give the series an 8 out of 10-it had a lot of good moments-there was some dead space-it was at least as good as Next-not quite up to par with Try. Overall a good watch.

Annihilation of everything that is is a bit too abstract a concept for me to take it serious. Lina nuked cities left and right and that only resulted in people digging their way out of piles of rubble being very angry. If an endboss of whatever category had ever succeeded in destroying the world my image of whatever follows would have been Lina crawling her way out of an extraordinarily large pile of rubble, fuming, bitching, and shaking her fist. The end fights were exciting, yes, but the one in SR is no exception. And better choreographed at that.

Good point there. And I think the blame lies in how the anime has now nearly completely severed itself from the novel canon. There is suppose to be a constant evolving threat from various factions in the world, but the current Slayers are effectively filler, with the only purpose in maintaining the status quo of the main cast. Amelia and Zelgadis isn't even suppose to be in the cast anymore, but by forcing them to stay the story can no longer advance.

Good point there. And I think the blame lies in how the anime has now nearly completely severed itself from the novel canon. There is suppose to be a constant evolving threat from various factions in the world, but the current Slayers are effectively filler, with the only purpose in maintaining the status quo of the main cast. Amelia and Zelgadis isn't even suppose to be in the cast anymore, but by forcing them to stay the story can no longer advance.

I could see Amelia, but I don't see why the novel decided to cut Zelgadis out of it in the first place. He's got solid skills with sword and magic so should still be useful. Or heck could have given him some new spell or something along the way so he wouldn't just be standing around. Besides considering his goal should be travelling around and likely to meet up with the other two as it is. Understandably Amelia should be sticking around home some more with her responsibilities. Know its up to the one writing, but just something that I was thinking about.

Probably one of those at fault for this current situation. While I don't want him to be useless or just comic relief, like to see Zel as part of things. Not sure how much I would have cared about a new season if he wasn't going to show up at all. Though while it may not have been quite at the level of the first 2 seasons Try wasn't that bad. So its not just severing itself from the novel, but not that great writing that is partly responsible.

Probably one of those at fault for this current situation. While I don't want him to be useless or just comic relief, like to see Zel as part of things. Not sure how much I would have cared about a new season if he wasn't going to show up at all. Though while it may not have been quite at the level of the first 2 seasons Try wasn't that bad. So its not just severing itself from the novel, but not that great writing that is partly responsible.

But you see, by not adhering to canon at least partially, the animation crew IS harming the script. Like it or not, Slayers was successful because it was an adoption. And the novel was the source of the writing. Leaving the beaten path might have been an intentional decision, but by doing so the animators have only themselves to blame when the altered script no longer works.

The North American distributor FUNimation Entertainment has announced on Monday that it has licensed the Slayers Revolution and Slayers Evolution-R fantasy comedy anime series from Enoki Films. These 2008 and 2009 anime are the fourth and fifth television series based on Hajime Kanzaka and Rui Araizumi's novel series, after the first Slayers series, Slayers Next, and Slayers Try. The first three Slayers television series were previously licensed by Central Park Media, and then FUNimation picked up their licenses in 2005.

Like the previous Slayers projects, Slayers Revolution and Slayers Evolution-R follow the comic misadventures of the sorceress Lina Inverse (Megumi Hayashibara) and the swordsman Gourry Gabriev (Yasunori Matsumoto) in a fantasy land. Several other familiar characters in the franchise make appearances during the series, and Takashi Watanabe (Boogiepop Phantom, Ikki Tousen, Lost Universe) directed all five series. The 13 Slayers Revolution episodes aired in Japan from July to September, and the 13 planned Slayers Evolution-R episodes will continue the story in January. FUNimation's digital release of the two series will begin in 2009, and the complete versions of both will ship on DVD in 2010.

Update: According to FUNimation's press release, the company will release the complete series on DVD in 2010. However, the website lists a 2009 date.

Update 2: FUNimation has confirmed with ANN that 2009 is the scheduled date for the digital release.

Update 3: FUNimation lists its Slayers Revolution license as a 26-episode series. Hajime Kanzaka, the author of the original Slayers light novels, had indicated that Slayers Revolution and Slayers Evolution-R were originally planned as one 26-episode series with a production break in between the two halves.

Update 4: FUNimation has confirmed that it has licensed both Slayers Revolution and its follow-up, Slayers Evolution-R.

Aw, people. The first season of rev already ended and I still see comments against Amelia in this topic. Cut the girl some slack: if she had been portrayed as due by the scriptwriters and voice-actresses as due, she would be brilliant.

As for Slayers not being STANDARD BREAKING show, I think you, Slice, are also forgetting the influence of Slayers in anime back at the time. For one, the epic finales of both season 1 and try influenced other epic finales, such as Saber Marionette J Again's, and most of the tragedies that followed (sure, it is not the influence Berserk had following the animation, but still it was a powerful addition). Btw, it was the first to include the RP(roleplay)gaming gags and references in parody. I would even say it influenced the creation of series such as Saiyuki and, seriously, Orphen. ALSO happens to be the precursor of the Xellos /slash/ polite-smiling-murder stereotype that 80% of the subsequent animes STOLE from Slayers.

So, it was pretty brilliant, even if the end of Slayers Next was lame and many filler episodes from the first and try season aren't even funny.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MooMooFarm

Just gonna add a bit here, it seems that SR was pretty much a milk out the last drip of cash from our cow and the budget/designs were very poor. I rofled at Macross Frontier, but even I can acknowledge they did a better job than SR. The graphical upgrade over the decade is beyond a joke, and at times, Lina looked uglier than she did in the original series.

I agree with everything you say =] glad to see some people here that aren't afraid to knock off their shows even though they love it (who else would watch SR? NEW PEOPLE? HAHAHAHAHA)

Yep yep, and here's the kicker; not only do they only use the old material/lore of the original 3, they don't make it newbie friendly either. This can only fail, as new viewers go WTF with the historical crap they spam and the people who are old fans just go dur we know that WHO CARES. It really adds a lot to the non-epic and overall joke that is SR.

Anime is suppose to evolve, but nowadays there are so many studios who just add a little sparkle and make a product even crappier than their past works. There's so many examples throughout this series, but if you actually need an example, then you are probably very easy to please.